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Latest Gear Live Videos
Power Pedal Legs Walk Away from Disaster
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Misc. Tech, Science, Transportation,
Talk about power-walking! Matsushita, in cooperation with Ritsumeikan University, has devised a robotic rescue exoskeleton just in time for the upcoming hurricane season. The Power Pedal Legs can lift and separate someone who cannot walk for her/himself at a power of up to 7 times that of a human and carry them to the closest rescue point in one of 6 directions. They can also be used for those who have trouble getting around on their own because of medical reasons. Available in August in Japan, the legs will set you back ¥20 million (~$162,000.00.)
Read More 
| Daily Tech
Gallery: Power Pedal Legs Walk Away from Disaster
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Aquada Goes From the Road to the Water
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Design, Transportation,
Who wouldn’t want one of these? Push a button on the Aquada and go from land to water via a boat ramp, the beach, or a slipway. The wheels automatically rise in less than twelve seconds and the UK based Gibbs claims that it will head out for over 30 mph and can tow a water skier. Although the Aquada has been around a couple of years, Gibbs announced that their multi-purpose vehicle is already available overseas for $200,000 and will be heading into mass production next year to become available in the first half of 2009 in the U.S. for under $100,000.
Read More | Gibbs A
Gallery: Aquada Goes From the Road to the Water
NYPD’s New Segway to Crime Fighting
Posted by Lolita Beckwith Categories: Misc. Tech, Transportation,
There seems to be two schools of thought regarding the 2-wheeled “personal transporter” known as the Segway—a convenient vehicle for getting around town or a vehicle for the attention-starved. Well, in New York you can now say it’s a vehicle for fighting crime. Twenty-five New York cops have been trained and have started using 10 Segways in parks and beaches including Coney Island, Central Park, Prospect Park and more, with Yankee and Shea Stadiums to come. The Segways won’t be used in the actual streets of NY, as—quite ironically—they fail certain safety standards, and therefore cannot be registered legally in the state. New York joins over 200 police agencies around the country that employ the Segway.
Read More | New York Daily News
Gallery: NYPD’s New Segway to Crime Fighting
Dualis Power Suit Descends on Tokyo
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Misc. Tech, Science, Transportation,
Nissan has created a Dualis Power Suit based on its SUV car of the same name. Dreamed up by anime creator/designer Shoji Kawamori, the 11 foot-plus bot has already been featured on talk shows in Japan. It will be hanging out at various locations in Tokyo through mid-June and at the Sony building in Ginza towards the end of July. Here it is at a gas station. Tell me, why aren’t these people paying attention?
Read More | Pink Tentacle
Gallery: Dualis Power Suit Descends on Tokyo
Japan’s Golden Schachihoko Taxi
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Transportation,
This is how one Japanese taxi company decided to celebrate their 50th anniversary. The Fuji Taxi Group in Nagoya has taken one taxi and painted it gold. Group President Kazuo Ohara from the company reports that it has cost them thousands of Yen in hopes of making it a good luck symbol “in a way comparable to Nagoya’s famous golden shachihoko (a mythical creature with the head of a tiger and the body of a carp.)” We think that it looks mighty fierce, but how much do you suppose the meter racks up per kilometer?
Read More | Japan Probe
Gallery: Japan’s Golden Schachihoko Taxi
Bumper Buggies Available for Toddlers
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Misc. Tech, Toys, Transportation,
More fun than a bumper car at a carnival has to be owning your very own Razor Bumper Buggie at home. Unfortunately, they were only designed for children over the age of three. The cars come in 3 models and can hold up to 55 pounds. They move around at 2 mph for 40 minutes on an 8 hour charge. Made of plastic and featuring dual joystick pads and motors, you can find them online for $89.00. After purchase, hide the breakables, bring in the pets, and think about investing in fencing around your rose bushes.
Read More | Razorama
Gallery: Bumper Buggies Available for Toddlers
New York Cabbies Get Touchy About Touch-Screens
Posted by Lolita Beckwith Categories: GPS, Transportation,
Last week, New York’s Taxi and Limousine Commission approved a plan to install touch-screens in all 13,000 city cabs. The monitors not only let riders pay via credit card, but include GPS technology and info about bars and restaurants. However, many drivers oppose the plan, due to the cost of the screens, credit card fees, and time lost if the monitor needs repair. Some cabbies are even concerned about the GPS tracking their routes (the Taxi Commission states that only pickup and drop-off locations will be recorded). The vehicles will be upgraded starting October 1.
Read More | MSNBC
Gallery: New York Cabbies Get Touchy About Touch-Screens
Avis Aids Travelers
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Accessories, Misc. Tech, Transportation, Wireless / WiFi,
There may be a little less travel rage when stranded in a strange town. Avis has initiated a service that, for a fee of $10.95 a day, will transmit a Wifi signal to your laptop or other mobile device. Developed by Autonet Mobile, it will keep you informed on car rentals, hotels, and hot spots that you might visit during your next business trip or vacation.
Avis Connect is debuting at San Francisco International Airport and will move on to other large city airports by Q3 of this year. For some reason, the company has yet to release online just which network it is working with, but we figure they are waiting until Hertz first creates a service just like it.
Read More | Avis Connect
Gallery: Avis Aids Travelers
The Stash Helmet or Crash Helmet?
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Misc. Tech, Transportation,
First came the foldable guitar, then the bicycle in a box. Now we have discovered the Stash Helmet that collapses into 60% of its original size. Still, we are wondering if this is really a good thing, because it seems that any helmet that can fold into itself could possibly fold into your head upon inpact. We are sure that plenty of tests were done before the head cover became available to the public. We think we are going to wait awhile before we invest in this one. The Stash Helmet is available for £49.95 (~$67.00.) at the UK Bike Store.
Read More | UK Bike Store
Gallery: The Stash Helmet or Crash Helmet?
Car freaks will adore this Morning Drive Car Wheel Alarm Clock. Rather than waking up to music or some annoying shock jock, the clock’s tires spin and burn out. The Korean device is powered by three AAA batteries and has a gear shift for hands-on fun. A female voice also comes on, but Babelfish’s translation turned it into “the exorcism wool ning!” Little matter, for anyone who applauds the idea of burning rubber in the morning won’t particularly care what the wake-up call says.
Read More | Buzz (translated)
